Creighton denies UE MVC men's soccer title

Coach Mike Jacobs delivered one main message when the University of Evansville's men's soccer team huddled after Saturday's loss to Creighton.

"I called all our guys together and I told them, 'We need to make a promise to ourselves that we're going to see these guys again,'" Jacobs said.

With a run through the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, the Aces would indeed get a chance at revenge.

Creighton (13-3-2, 5-0-1 MVC) claimed the Missouri Valley Conference's regular-season championship outright with its 2-1 win over Evansville at Arad McCutchan Stadium on Saturday, fending off Evansville in a match in which the Aces (9-7-1, 3-2-1 MVC) were looking for a share of the title with a victory.

After Creighton's Timo Pitter notched an eighth-minute goal, Evansville freshman Mark Anthony Gonzalez tallied his fifth of the season in the 21st minute. The Blue Jays' Brent Kallman answered with the game-winner right before the half.

Both teams went scoreless over the final 46 minutes, and Creighton did whatever it could to stall late. A small skirmish even broke out in the Blue Jays' box inside of 10 minutes to play after contact between goalkeeper Jeff Gal and a UE player.

Officials didn't call a foul on either side, instead electing to go into a drop-ball situation — similar to a jump ball in basketball or faceoff in hockey. Creighton controlled the ensuing possession, booting the ball onto Evansville's half of the field to effectively end the match.

Evansville will head into its first MVC tournament match on Wednesday in Peoria, Ill., as the No. 4 seed. The Aces play fifth-seeded Drake at 3 p.m.

A Creighton rematch would come in the semifinal game.

"Sometimes you get in tournament play and you say, ‘Hopefully we're on the other side of the bracket and avoid these guys,'" Jacobs said. "It's like, I'd love to play these guys again."